# Doug Galt > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Doug_Galt > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Doug_Galt.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Galt > Source revision: 1347324011 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable) | honorific_suffix = [ECO](/source/Executive_Council_of_Ontario) | name = Doug Galt | image = | caption = | office1 = [Ontario MPP](/source/Member_of_Provincial_Parliament_(Ontario)) | term_start1 = 1995 | term_end1 = 2003 | predecessor1 = [Joan Fawcett](/source/Joan_Fawcett) | successor1 = [Lou Rinaldi](/source/Lou_Rinaldi_(politician)) | constituency1 = [Northumberland](/source/Northumberland_(Ontario_provincial_electoral_district)) | party = [Progressive Conservative](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Ontario) | birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|64|2002|8|23}} | birth_place = | occupation = Veterinarian | spouse = Catherine }} '''Doug Galt''' (born 1938) is a former [politician](/source/politician) in [Ontario](/source/Ontario), Canada. He was a [Progressive Conservative](/source/Progressive_Conservative_Party_of_Ontario) member of the [Legislative Assembly of Ontario](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_Ontario) from 1995 to 2003, and an unsuccessful contender for the [House of Commons of Canada](/source/House_of_Commons_of_Canada) in 2004. ==Background== Galt was a [veterinarian](/source/veterinarian) before entering political life. He was an overseas veterinary pathologist and project coordinator for [CIDA](/source/Canadian_International_Development_Agency) in 1988 and 1992, and retired as head of the [Brighton](/source/Brighton%2C_Ontario) Veterinary Services Lab in 1994. In the late 1980s, he attended [Queen's University](/source/Queen's_University_at_Kingston) and earned a [Master's Degree](/source/Master's_Degree) in public administration. Galt currently lives in the hamlet of [Salem, Ontario](/source/Salem%2C_Durham_Regional_Municipality%2C_Ontario) with his wife Catherine.{{cite news |title=Douglas Galt: Ontario, Northumberland - Quinte West, Conservative Party of Canada |url=http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/elections/fed2004/candidates/generated/35058_CON.html |newspaper=Globe and Mail |date=June 28, 2004}} ==Politics== He began his political career at the municipal level, serving as a warden in [Northumberland County](/source/Northumberland_County%2C_Ontario), and as [reeve](/source/reeve_(Canada)) of [Cramahe Township](/source/Cramahe%2C_Ontario). Galt was also a school trustee, and chaired the Colborne-Cramahe Community Economic Development Commission in 1994. Galt was elected to the Ontario legislature in the [1995 provincial election](/source/1995_Ontario_general_election), defeating incumbent [Liberal](/source/Ontario_Liberal_Party) [Joan Fawcett](/source/Joan_Fawcett) by over 6,000 votes in the [Northumberland](/source/Northumberland_(Ontario_provincial_electoral_district)) riding.{{cite web|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=Northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326024743/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=2014-03-26 }} The Progressive Conservatives won the election under the leadership of [Mike Harris](/source/Mike_Harris), and Galt sat as a [backbench](/source/backbench) supporter. He became known for asking "softball" questions (i.e. inoffensive questions which praise the sitting government, and allow ministers to outline new policy initiatives). Galt was re-elected in the [1999 provincial election](/source/1999_Ontario_general_election), though by only 903 votes over Liberal Carolyn Campbell.{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140803112412/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1999_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=37&rec=0&district=Northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 3, 2014 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 3, 1999 |accessdate=2014-03-02 }} He introduced a resolution in the Legislature to bring forward greater protection against cruelty to animals and tried to ban riding in the back of pick-up trucks. Galt also introduced a Private Member's Bill to create a [Robert Baldwin](/source/Robert_Baldwin) Day in [Ontario](/source/Ontario) which was later endorsed by Andrew Redden in an article published in the ''[Canadian Parliamentary Review](/source/Canadian_Parliamentary_Review)''. In 2000, Galt precipitated a minor crisis in the legislature by accidentally reading out the names of certain young offenders, whose identities were protected by law. Galt was actually praising the young offenders for graduating from a young offenders program while forgetting that they were still young offenders. [Rob Sampson](/source/Rob_Sampson), the [Minister of Correctional Services](/source/Minister_of_Correctional_Services_(Ontario)), had to temporarily resign from office to show ministerial accountability for Galt's error.{{cite news |title=Minister resigns after MPP names young offenders |last=Stevenson |first=James |newspaper=The Kitchener Record |date=December 5, 2000 |page=A1}} Galt served as chair of the Premier's Task Force on Rural Economic Renewal, which toured the province and consulted with other jurisdictions. Amongst other initiatives, the findings of this Task Force led to the creation of the O.S.T.A.R. program and Rural Economic Development funding initiative. Galt supported [Ernie Eves](/source/Ernie_Eves) to replace Harris as party leader in 2002, and was named by Eves as a [minister without portfolio](/source/minister_without_portfolio) and chief government [Whip](/source/Whip_(politics)) on August 22 of that year.{{cite news |title=Stockwell's workload cut in cabinet shuffle; Eves gives energy portfolio to Baird, names new whip |last=Mallan |first=Caroline |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=August 23, 2002 |page=A17}} The Progressive Conservatives were defeated in the [2003 provincial election](/source/2003_Ontario_general_election), and Galt lost his seat to Liberal candidate [Lou Rinaldi](/source/Lou_Rinaldi_(politician)) by approximately 2,500 votes.{{cite web|url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=Northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 2, 2003 |accessdate=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083135/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&district=northumberland&flag=E&layout=G |archivedate=2014-08-19 }} ===Federal politics=== In early 2004, Galt supported [Tony Clement](/source/Tony_Clement)'s unsuccessful campaign to become leader of the [Conservative Party of Canada](/source/Conservative_Party_of_Canada). Galt himself ran as a Conservative in the [2004 federal election](/source/2004_Canadian_federal_election), challenging [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) incumbent [Paul Macklin](/source/Paul_Macklin) in the federal riding of [Northumberland](/source/Northumberland_(Ontario_electoral_district)). Macklin defeated Galt by 313 votes.{{cite web |title=Canada Votes 2006: Northumberland - Analysis & Commentary |url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2006/analysiscommentary/swingridings.html |date=23 January 2006|publisher=CBC News |accessdate=13 February 2010}} ==Electoral record== {{Election box begin | title=[1995 Ontario general election](/source/1995_Ontario_general_election)}} {{CANelec|ON|Progressive Conservatives|Doug Galt|19,359|52.13|}} {{CANelec|ON|Liberal|[Joan Fawcett](/source/Joan_Fawcett)|13,233|35.63|}} {{CANelec|ON|NDP|Murray Weppler|4,539|12.22|}} {{end}} {{1999 Ontario general election/Northumberland}} {{Election box begin | title=[2003 Ontario general election](/source/2003_Ontario_general_election)}} {{CANelec|ON|Liberal|[Lou Rinaldi](/source/Lou_Rinaldi_(politician))|20,382|45.05|+1.08}} {{CANelec|ON|Progressive Conservatives|Doug Galt|17,816|39.37|-6.62}} {{CANelec|ON|NDP|Murray Weppler|5,210|11.51|+5.19}} {{CANelec |ON |Green |Derrick J. Kelly |1,839 |4.06 |+1.39}} {{end}} {{2004 Canadian federal election/Northumberland—Quinte West}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{Ontario MPP biography|id=doug-galt}} {{s-start}} {{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Ernie_Eves}} {{ministry box sub-cabinet posts | post1preceded = | post1 = [Minister without Portfolio](/source/Minister_without_Portfolio) | post1note = | post1years = 2002-2003 | post1followed = }} {{ministry box special parl | post1preceded = [John Baird](/source/John_Baird_(Canadian_politician)) | post1 = [Chief Government Whip](/source/Chief_Government_Whip_(Ontario)) | post1years = 2002-2003 | post1note = | post1followed = [Dave Levac](/source/Dave_Levac) }} {{s-end}} {{Eves Ministry}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Galt, Doug}} Category:Conservative Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons Category:Canadian veterinarians Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPPs Category:Living people Category:1930s births Category:20th-century mayors of places in Ontario Category:Ontario school board trustees Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Category:Year of birth missing (living people) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Doug Galt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Galt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Galt?action=history)). 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